Printing a file list

If I've got a finder window open in list view, how can I print the list of files?

Alternatively, what are the commands from a terminal window to pipe the list into a text file? I'd also need the command to change drive, it's an external one...

All help appreciated

With the pointer in the window, press space + apple + 4 then spacebar and a camera will appear with the finder window highlighted - click and it will be saved.

Edited for key combination

Edited by deleted (Thu 29-Jan-09 16:58:09)

cd /volumes/<vol name>/<directory>

ls > temp.txt

will create the file temp.txt (in the directory you have changed to).

(Fill in your own values for <vol name> and <directory>)
If you want all file details use "ls -l" rather than "ls"

That's the one I want, thanks

@ PatFlanel- I think you mean "Command-Shift-4, then Spacebar", that does a screen grab... doesn't help if I want a text listing or if the list won't fit on the screen . Thanks anyway.

Ooooops wrong combination. Sorry.....

You may, or may not, like to check out a few other OS X commands.

Cheers for the link... but it wouldn't have helped- doesn't seem to mention the /volume parameter, which is what I really needed.

man cd doesn't help either

TBH I'm (sort of) au fait with most of the commands I'm likely to need, it's the options I'm somewhat light on.

And if I'm stuck, it's usually quicker to ask in here than trying to find it the hard way . I know that sounds idle of me, but I don't often have to ask twice...

In reply to:

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If I've got a finder window open in list view, how can I print the list of files?

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I use this method, from the Help - it comes under the heading "Printing by dragging documents":

"To get a printed list of the contents of a folder, drag the folder's icon to the printer's icon or to the Printer Setup Utility icon."

(To create a desktop printer, open Printer Setup Utility, select the printer in the printer list, and choose Printers > Create Desktop Printer.)

You can also save the list of files as a PDF from the printer dialogue.

In reply to:

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cd /volumes/<vol name>/<directory>

ls > temp.txt

will create the file temp.txt (in the directory you have changed to).

(Fill in your own values for <vol name> and <directory>)
If you want all file details use "ls -l" rather than "ls"

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Or you might want the output to contain one file name per line, in which case you can just use:

ls -1 <path_to_folder>

That's a number 1

I needed the date/time stamps of the file, preferably in order, so I used

ls -l -t

Thanks for that Sarah

You live and learn. I didn't know about the "-1" switch. But, from the man page, "This is the default when output is not to a terminal."

Also interesting to see that some switches override each other, with only the last being effective - e.g. "ls -l -1"might not produce what you initially expected.

When I got the listing, a lot of the lines started with:

-rw-r--r--@ 1 billford...

What's the '@' ?

From the man page:

"If the file or directory has extended attributes, the permissions field printed by the -l
option is followed by a '@' character. Otherwise, if the file or directory has extended security
information, the permissions field printed by the -l option is followed by a '+' character."

Ta

Is there any way to grab the entire contents of a Finder panel even though some of it is off screen?
mervt

I assume you mean as a graphic?

Command-Shift-4, move the "camera" to the window, then Spacebar will do that.

It'll grap the entire window, but you can crop it to just the bit you want with Preview.

I have tried this and all I can get is what's on the screen, not the entire contents of the window.
have also tried using 'grab'. shift-command-w
I must be dumb or have a glitch.
mervt

Odd, I've just tried it again here and it worked even with part of the window off-screen and part behind another program... I'm stuck

Just to make sure I'm not completely senile, do I position the camera anywhere in the required window?
Thanks for the help
mervt

It must be me. I was using my iMac and have just tried it on my Macbook and get the same result ?!?!
mervt

Exact sequence that works here:

Command-Shift-4
Move pointer to window
Spacebar
Left click

PNG file gets saved to desktop.

Hold on while I try my MacBook...

Works fine on my MacBook (the new aluminium one)

I just dunno. I have tried every which way and all I get is what was actually on screen not the entire contents of the window.
I tried the ADSL window this time selecting show all and all I get is the top 3 or 4 posts which were on screen.
Ah well - thanks for the time
Will let you know if ever I crack it.
mervt

Wild shot- are you running Spaces?

Maybe it won't work if the window is outside the 'space'?

Same as you Mervt, using Grab on my Macbook I can only get the contents of a window as it is visible in the window at the time.

For instance if I have Applications open in List view in Finder (too many to fit in one window), 'Capture Window' will only capture those in the open visible window. I can't do what Bill says he can do using Command-Shift-4 either, rather than Grab.

Not using Spaces.

In reply to:

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Applications open in List view in Finder (too many to fit in one window)

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I'm wondering if we're talking about the same thing... I can only grab what would be visible in the window if it were all on-screen, ie if I put half the window off the edge of the monitor I still get all of it.

I can't grab anything that would need me to scroll the window to see it. Not convinced I've made myself clear, I hope so

In reply to:

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I can't grab anything that would need me to scroll the window to see it.

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That is how I understood what Mervt wants to do.

It could be read either way...

all I can get is what's on the screen, not the entire contents of the window

I interpreted 'screen' as 'monitor', but it's ambiguous.

Clarification required

Merv?

Yes that is precisely what I want to do, so it looks as though it's undo-able.
mervt

Sorry for the confusion

No prob. Thanks for the help. Someone please crack it. It would be most useful for saving grabs of settings in modems, email address preferences, site access details in Dreamweaver etc. etc.
mervt

There is a couple of Applescripts for printing a folder listing under printing Scripts (Applescript in Applications Folder)
Print Window With Subfolders.scpt and Print Window.scpt
These I think will print a list but would need to be modified to save as a text file

Also found this PrintFinder which might do the trick.

Thank you. Yes the scripts will be useful in recording the contents of folders, but what I really want to do is what grab does and that is take a pic of the entire contents of an on screen window.

An example would be - - I am in the ADSL site and am viewing a long list posts on a particular topic and I would like to preserve all of them as a pic in one go.

mervt

To save a full web page as it appears in a scrollable window, if you use Firefox you can use the ScrapBook extension. I have been using this for several years now, very useful. It can also do an efficient search of pages saved. Note that by default the files will be saved in a folder in your FF profile (this can be altered), and I assume you need the extension to view them. Scrapbook will also save a precise selection from a web page. It's easy to use and organise.

However while Scrapbook will save a scrollable page of the window open in your browser, it won't save any additional pages of a full forum thread for instance. To capture a full length thread (all the pages) in a TBB forum, one option is to use the "Print Thread" view button (bottom right of the page), then 'Save Page As" from the File menu, and save as a Web Page. This is fairly efficient and the files can be opened in any browser window.

There is a (free) programme called Paparazzi! - a small utility for Mac OS X that makes screenshots of webpages. Not tried it though.

Yes - that's it. Firefox Scrapbook does just what I need - at last!
Thanks a bunch s_h

mervt

Good news
I find a myriad uses for Scrapbook. Saving records of a travel booking for instance. There are all sorts of fleeting web pages which can't be bookmarked in the normal way. If later you find you want a PDF of a Scrapbook page, use the printer dialogue.

I use a similar approach but using a small paid for app called Yojimbo it gives me an extra global option in the Print to pdf menu in any application. And as a .mac user it syncs to idisk and all my other macs too.

Cracking app. (but not free).

HTH